"You're piggybacking each other. (Nate) McLouth is our ringleader; he starts the game off," Jones said. "The first two days he's started the game off with hits and he gives us a little bit of energy."

McLouth started the game with a single and a stolen base and scored on Jones' single that put the Orioles ahead to stay.

Rangers starter Ross Wolf (1-3) was done after the first four batters in the third reached base -- all scored to put Baltimore up 7-0.

Wolf gave up nine hits to the 16 batters he faced, and his only two strikeouts ended the first with the bases loaded after the Orioles had already scored twice.

"They came out and they jumped on him early," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "He made a good pitch down, they hit it. He made pitches up, they hit it, they found holes. ... They put the ball in play and made something happen."

Gonzalez (8-3) allowed eight hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings. He left after his 104th pitch, when Ian Kinsler had a sac fly for the first Texas run.

"It was a really mature outing tonight because a lot of guys get too fast," manager Buck Showalter said. "He kept his tempo and kept pitching like it was 0-0, and I thought that was key."

In 20 career road games (18 starts), Gonzalez's 2.83 ERA is the lowest for AL starting pitchers with at least 100 innings since the beginning of the 2012 season. He also worked into at least the sixth in his 23rd consecutive start, the third-longest active streak in the majors.

"I've started off a little slow and building up throughout the whole year and I think that's what counts," Gonzalez said. "Hopefully I can keep it going and keep our team in good ballgames and win some more."

The Rangers have lost six of their past seven games, and slipped a half-game behind Baltimore for the AL's second wild-card spot. The Orioles are in third place in the AL East, 3½ games behind division-leading Boston.

Baltimore's 17 hits were one shy of its season high. Matt Wieters had three hits and Jones was among six players with two for the Orioles, who have won five of six.

Jones hit his 20th homer on the first pitch of the third. Chris Davis followed with a double, Wieters walked and J.J. Hardy singled to load the bases. Brian Roberts had a two-run single before Henry Urrutia, the 26-year-old Cuban prospect in his major league debut after only 67 minor league games, had an RBI single.

Jones and Davis had consecutive RBI singles in the first. An inning later, McLouth tripled and scored on Manny Machado's hit.

The Orioles even had two runners thrown out on the bases in their four-run third.

Roberts initially retreated to first before running toward an unoccupied second base, but shortstop Elvis Andrus hustled there to take a throw and tag out Roberts. Urrutia went to third on that play, but was thrown out trying to score on McLouth's fly to left.

A.J. Pierzynski blocked the plate for the inning-ending out against Urrutia, but the Rangers catcher had a base running gaffe of his own.

Pierzynski was at first after a leadoff single in the second when Andrus blooped a ball into the short center field. Pierzynski stopped about halfway to second when Jones held up his glove like he was about to make the catch. After the ball dropped in front of him, Jones threw to second to force out Pierzynski.

"Man, that play works one in about 200,000 attempts," Jones said. "I've seen other outfielders do it. I've never really done it before, and it randomly worked in a big situation."

Game notes
The start of the game and a pregame ceremony for 14-time All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez into the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame were delayed 30 minutes by rain. ... Orioles LF Nolan Reimold is scheduled to have surgery next week to correct a spinal fusion procedure. He had his first neck surgery last June, but tests this week showed that his spine never fused properly and has to be fixed. His first surgery was the same procedure that NFL quarterback Peyton Manning had.